Spring Flowers

 I was going through my picture folders and realized that I hadn't shared all the cards I had made while I was one the Splitcoast  dirty dozen team.  These were done last May so I am trying to remember what the theme was but I think it was flowers.

This first card I gave my sister last year for her birthday.

I made rolled flowers in all different sizes and colors and the dragonfly was stamped on cardstock and vellum for the leaves. Topping off with a sprinkling of gems.

This second card I made some quilled flowers using some very thin strips of papers I cut, then rolled up and shaped into different shapes to make up the flowers. The stems I ran through my crimper. It is a 5x7 card.

The very last one I will be sharing was some Faux glass flowers.  I used clear packaging, added some alcohol inks to it, then stamped onto the sheet with stazon ink. Cut the flowers out with Tim Holtz die. Then heated with a heat gun to give them dimension, adding gems to the centers.

I have one more set to share some time but I have finished my Christmas cards for this month so I will probably share those next :)

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Green

 Happy St. Patty's day, I thought today would be the perfect day to share a card with a couple challenge blogs that the main focus is green.  Both sentiment tags came from a instant card art pack, I added a piece behind it so it didn't blend into the background paper. The little dragonfly stamp and die combo came in my Advent calendar of goodies, I colored him with markers, and added a touch of shimmer with a sparkle pen.

• Hot off the press - cardmakers instant card art Pretty colors (both sentiment tags)
• BasicGrey - Periphery paper
• Crafter's Companion - Advent Calendar 2021 (Dragonfly stamp and die) color w/markers
• Spectrum clear sparkle pen (dragonflies body)
• Hot off the press - 63 Thin line Border stickers
• My Favorite things - Cross-stitch Rectangle die

I would like to share my card with these Blogs

Colorful Options Green challenge

Sisterhood of Crafters The color green challenge

I just had to change my picture before Spring is officially here because the trees are starting to bloom, even though we are still having below freezing temperatures at night and tomorrows High will only be 34, he said it is acting like it is the beginning of February out there, but the temps are supposed to get better by the middle of next week so I am pretty happy about that.  Hope you all enjoy your weekend.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

You are strong

 Wanted to send out some more cards to those that are dealing with Pain and healing right now.

My first card was the cover of the new daily calendar I bought for this year. I had never seen the beautiful artwork of Marjolein Bastin before but she does such beautiful images and it just looked nice and peaceful to me so I thought it might be uplifting for this lady that needs to know that I think she has been very strong through an awful ordeal. I cut around the image and  I added a sticker border and crochet die.

• Marjolein Bastin - Nature's Inspiration 2023 daily calendar image
• Tim Holtz - Crochet die
• Hot off the press - Dazzles 31 white jewel border stickers
• Simon Says stamps - tiny words encourgement stamp
• Pink & Main - Sentiment strip die

On this second card I went with a coloring pad from Spectrum noir, I bought it off of HSN, the pads and the pencils. The pages in this pad have gold embossing.

• Spectrum noir - Natural Beauty Colorista pad colored w/pencils
• My sentiments exactly - Little birdie sentiment stamp
• Me & My big ideas - Gems

The sentiment seemed to blend in with the background, so I added one of the gems near it.

I think next time I will try to blend the pencils with some mineral spirits, I was just worried that may mess up the gold foil on these. I will have to try it on an image I don't like as much :)

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Wish

 I was working on another project where I was using paint and I had a good amount on my sponge I was using and instead of throwing it away I added it to the edge of a few pieces of pattern paper I have in my scraps bin.  Today I brought it out to go with another image from my coloring calendar images.  I used pencils to color it. I fussy cut it out and added it to an oval shape, used the same die set to cut out my stamped sentiment and then added some black ink around the edges of the sentiment tag.

• Color for Calm Calendar image - colored w/pencils, fussy cut
• Spellbinders - Scallop Classic Ovals Lg dies
• Scrap paper that I had sponged cream paint around the edges
• Stamps of life - minis4circles sentiment stamp w/black ink sponging

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today and hope you have a fabulous week ahead!

Connie

Thinking of you

 Hubby talked recently with a coworker he had on the last shift he use to work, he is dealing with cancer and we were saying how we need to lift him up in prayer and we also thought I should make him a card, it is always nice to have something on hand to remind you of those that are lifting you up in prayer.

I went with some new papers, rub ons and ephemera from 49 and Market.

• 49 and Market - Vintage artist Serenity, 6x8 papers with butterfly and sentiment tag, Vintage Artistry Wedgewood Rub ons
• Inky Antics - Simple sentiments stamp set

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and hope you enjoy a fun and creative weekend!

Connie

in the woods

 I have a question for you all.  I started this card out as a Christmas card, and as I went on it didn't look very Christmas like to me so I turned it into a card for my nephews birthday.  When I showed my hubby and told him what I did, all he said is I really like that, so I guess it will be ok for his birthday card.  Just one of those cards that didn't turn out like I had intended, so just feels off. 

I love these ephemera images from Tim Holtz, there is even another of this tree just smaller in the pack. I stenciled the plaid background, added the punch grass and die cut the squirrel and birds.

• Tim Holtz - Christmas Botanicals Layers Ephemera
• Folk Art - Background Stencils Plaid
• Distress ink - Rustic Wilderness
• Impression Obsession - Squirrel Set
• Die-Versions - Beautiful Bird Cages (birds)
• Fiskars - Grass punch
• Simon Says - tiny words birthday sentiment stamp
  

I am adding my card to the Double D Challenge which is Green

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Lake House

 One of my hubby's co workers has no family near, so I try to do him a special card for his birthday.  I know I appreciate my daughters friends who make her birthday special since we live so far away to be with her on her birthday.

I made a little window by using my square die and added the stamp on the back of the card inside.  I just love these papers for backgrounds to outdoor scenes but I don't have much left now.

• Art impressions - Lake House window stamp, colored w/markers
• PPD - Mini stitched square die to cut window
• October afternoon - campfire paper

Usually the colors are more close to actual on my close up pictures but in this case they are more to the first picture I posted.

Hope your week is off to a great start.  We had a beautiful day yesterday but today it is going to be 30 degrees cooler, and in the 40's for the rest of the week, guess spring is still a little ways off.

Connie

Magnolia

 I am using yet another of the panel dies from Gemini, I used distress inks through the die to color through the die while the paper was still inside and then removed it and finished with more inking and markers to finish the coloring.  I thought it looked pretty against the dark wood in this paper. The tag is in the paper set also and I just added the stamped sentiment.

• Gemini - Magnolia die set, colored w/inks and markers
• ODBD - Vintage Ephemera paper and tag
• Recollections - Button brad

The Our Daily Bread papers have a slick surface to them so there is a bit of shine when you look at a side view of it.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

in His hands

 These were very hard sympathy cards to make, my final Aunt has passed away, and with both my parents gone a whole generation has left us, such a weird feeling to have.  My Aunt looked a lot like my mom and since we live so far from one another we kept in contact through letters, this past Christmas I did not hear back from her so I was thinking either she couldn't see anymore or she was poorly.

She lived with her daughter and family for quite a few years and just recently went to live with her son and his family, so I made them both a sympathy card.

I was stuck for what to do so I went looking for challenges that might spark some ideas and this is the first card I came up with.

• My sentiments exactly - Floral Encouragement cards stamp set, colored w/markers
• Kat Scrappiness - Mini Slimline Stitched Rope dies
• Teresa Collins - Tell your story paper

I am sharing this card with these challenges:

Retro Rubber Challenge Tic Tac Toe (Slimline, Pattern Paper and Layers) Stamp is 5 years old

Simon Says Stamps - Slimline card

For my next card I went with another challenge over at Sisterhood of Crafters Dots and or stripes

I went with dots on this card.  My butterfly was cut from a background I had made earlier using Oxide inks.

• Graphic 45 - Botanical Tea papers
• Spellbinders - A2 matting basics A die
• Pizzazz Aplenty - Butterfly die cut from Oxide blended background
• Taylored Expressions - Care & Comfort II sentiment stamp
• Memory Box - Stitched Rectangle layers die

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Hello

 I wanted to send a card to my sister in law that just went through another procedure on her heart, she was very nervous about it and now she is thankfully on her road to recovery.

I went with the  Beautiful Blossom Challenge and their pretty inspiration board for my card.

I am getting close to having this paper pack all used up so I have a lot of scraps left but the colors were just perfect for this.  I used a ribbon die to cut pieces to go between the papers and then found some pink and yellow to make my flower.

• Gemini - Cosmos layering flower die
• BasicGrey - Porcelain papers
• Cherry Lynn Designs - Alison's Ribbons die
• Impression Obsession - Classic Corners die
• Gemini - Opulent swirls die (hello)

Here is the beautiful inspiration board they gave us to work with.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

With Sympathy

 I was in need of a sympathy card and wanted to use flowers and I had this set from my advent calendar that I hadn't used yet and thought I would go with a cream/tan theme for this card.

• Crafters Companion - 2022 Advent calendar - flower stamp, colored w/markers
• K&co. - K-ology Hanna K paper
• Poppystamps - Tailored stitches die and Tulisa corner collage die
• Kaisercraft - sentiment stamp
• Queen & Co. - Chocolate delight pearls

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

Snowmen

 Although we are lucky to have not had any of the past snow I know a lot who have so why not end the month with some snowmen. In my card group I was supposed to come up with a challenge for our last week of snow challenge and I went with challenging the group to get out those snowmen dies and if they didn't have snowmen dies they could use their circle dies to make their own snowmen.

My card uses the snowmen dies from Tim Holtz that Simon Says stamps offered if you bought some Tim Holtz items. I liked them because they are a good size for cards and still able to make a scene, which I did with a border die and sponged the background and added some white gel pen snow.

• Tim Holtz - Chilly & Freezy dies
• Elizabeth Craft designs - Outdoor edges die
• Hobby Lobby - Christmas sticker book sentiment
• Distress inks - Tumbled glass and Faded Jeans (sky)
• White gel pen (snow)

This is a tag I made for my journal and I just used some circle dies and added my own face and coal, I didn't right down any of the other things I added to it so if you would like to know I can look them up for you, I had made this last year and since the journals are just for me I just make and don't write anything down, makes the creative process even more enjoyable :)

So that makes only 4 cards I made this month, but I just didn't have it in me to make another, I will have to catch up another month :)

Have a Beautiful Sunday, and those getting all the snow I hope you are staying safe and warm!

Thanks so much for stopping by today,

Connie

Bird w/jar

 For this bird challenge I decided to use one of the Robin layered stamps I have, along with a jar and flowers stamp and die set I have recently bought. I know the ribbon die turned out quite dark in the picture but it matched the red in the paper.

• The Greetery - Shiplap builder die and Robin and Wren stamp and die set
• Tim Holtz - Flowers Jar stamp and die set, colored w/markers
• Crate paper - Party day paper
• Impression Obsession - Tied line die
• Stamps of Life - Minis4circles stamp sentiment
• Martha Stewart - Circle punch w/inking around the edges

I would like to share my card in the following challenges:

Double D Challenge Birds

NBUS Challenge never before used stuff - Jar and flower stamps and dies

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today and hope you have a nice weekend!

Connie

Oh Deer

 Getting more Christmas cards done, I recently bought this deer die cut and so I just had to make it for our deer challenge in my stamp group.  I decided to make a couple while I was at it just changing up the framing and some of the extras that came in this die set.  I added marker touches to them to give a little depth.

• Simon Hurley - Floral Stag dies
• Hero Arts - Square Woodgrain Frames die

I used an oval frame on the second one.

• Simon Hurley - Floral Stag dies
• Hero Arts - Oval Woodgrain frames dies
• Starform - Purple/silver glitter stickers for berries

Lastly I came across this stamp set that April in our group was giving away to clean out some of her stuff to make room for new goodies, I had stamped it on regular cardstock and two embossed on watercolor cardstock and the only one that turned out is this one, it didn't look good at all embossing the image.  But at least I have 3 cards so far this month :)

• Sparkle n Sprinkle - 517 A winter wonderland stamp set, colored w/markers
• Stickles - Diamond for snow

You can see the sparkle of the stickles a little better with this closeup

I would like to share my card with the 

Peace on Earth Challenge

Four Seasons Challenge winter

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Pheasant

 Going through more of my guy images for my next birthday card, this little guy was perfect for another mini slimline card.  I added some gold pen around the edges to go with the gold in the papers, and some metal accents.  The bird was popped up on foam tape.

• Papercraft Essentials magazine - Highland Collection (image and Papers)
• Pilot Gold pen around base paper
• Ki - Metal Accents

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Butterfly wish

 I just love this paper that came with my Crafter's Companion Advent calendar this year, and I was looking through my stuff to see what could I pair that with when I came across these dimensional butterflies and I thought it would look nice with it. I didn't want to cover up too much of the paper, but I also didn't want the butterfly to just sit on top, so I made a frame by using a couple of my oval dies, and since it had an elegant feel to it I added a fancy border punch to the base.

• Crafter's Companion - Advent calendar 2022 paper
• K& co. - SW Floral Butterfly
• Martha Stewart - Border punch and tag punch
• Spellbinders - Big Scalloped Ovals and Classic oval dies to make frame
• Stamps of Life - Minis4circles stamped sentiment
• Brad
• Queen & co. - Bubbles

in the close up you can see the little gem bubbles I added too.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Get well wishes

 There is a gentlemen in our church that is going through some very rough health troubles right now and I wanted to let him know he is in my prayers.

I used a wooden bird for my main focus, I decided to give him a little sparkle and color with my Sparkle marker and it was now way to dark instead of too light, so I quickly rubbed the marker off before it all soaked into the wood and thought the uneven look gave it a good textured feeling, so I stuck with that.

I used some strips of of paper to make up the background and inked around them.  the border of the tag was made using a border punch and after adding the sentiment I felt it needed a little more so I added some dots with my fine tip pen and then inked around the whole tag and card.

• Ms. Sparkle & co. - Wood Veneers, colored w/Spectrum sparkle marker in Earth color, then partially wiped off
• Inkessentials - enamel accents in black for eyes
• Basic Grey - Porcelain Papers
• Martha Stewart - Border punch
• Inky Antics - Simple sentiments stamp
• Pen dots

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Happy Valentines day

 For my hubby, used some papers that a friend gave me, leaves stamp and die cut from Advent calendar 2021 to make a heart and heart stickers from $ store.

I would like to share my card with the Sisterhood of Crafters hearts challenge

Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a nice day!

Connie

Thank you

 I was in need of a couple thank you cards, my first friend is a substitute school teacher and one of the teachers in the school she works at was getting rid of most of her supplies and she texted me pictures of the items and I would tell her what I wanted, it took a lot of her time and I was so thankful that she thought of me so I just had to make her a card. I got punches, stamps, embossing folders, ect,

• Gemini - Thank you so much die
• Lilybee design - Head over heals paper
• Simply Cards and Papercrafts - Layered Peonies stamp
• Martha Stewart - Leaf punch

The flower on this is one of those layered stamping so no coloring just lining up the stamps.

This next friend asked if I could use any storage containers she was getting rid of, one was perfect to hold all my Christmas stamps that are still on wood blocks, the other I am still trying to figure out what to use it for but I am sure it won't be long and I will have that figured out.

This background stamp I used on this card was one I received from my other friend :) I used some rub ons with it.

• Inkadinkado - Thank you stamp
• 49 and market - Vintage artistry essentials paper and Blush & Sage Rub ons

Thank you for taking the time to stop by today, 

Connie